Postcard from Amsterdam

Postcard from Holland is a regular feature on this blog. On Wednesdays I post a card from my collection of vintage postcards. Today: A postcard from Amsterdam.

The Oudezijds Voorburgwal, a typical street (with canal) in Amsterdam, at the beginning of the previous century (the card was sent in 1909). Note the handcars on the streets. Nowadays the street is lined with bicycles and cars, but the canal itself and its surroundings did not change much.

Have a look at the back of the card. The card could be sent as postcard (briefkaart) or as printed matter (drukwerk), at different postage rates, by crossing out either the first or the second line at the top of the card. When sending at the (slightly cheaper) printed matter rate, the sender was not allowed to write a message on the card - he could only leave his name and address at the bottom left.

There are usage instructions on the top left and right of the card. On the left, it reads Bij verzending als briefkaart (niet als drukwerk) mag deze ruimte voor correspondentie gebruikt worden: When sending as postcard (not as printed matter) this space can be used for correspondence. On the right, at the place of the stamp, we find the text Bij verzending als "drukwerk" de woorden briefkaart postkarte enz. doorschrappen en alleen naam en datum er op schrijven: When sending as "printed matter" strike out the words briefkaart postkarte etc. and only write name and date on it.

The stamp on the card is now lost, presumably removed by a stamp collector.

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I have found that an ancestor moved from Amsterdam to Hull in England around 1868.His name was Jacob Lyons and he was born in Amsterdam in 1853.His fathers name was also Jacob Lyons and his mother was Mary Jane (Korputt)How could I trace where he lived in Amsterdam, if the house is still standing and his ancestors ?Paul Bulmerpaulbulmerhull@hotmail.co.uk

If you like this blog, you may also be interested in my other genealogy blogs: The Graveyard rabbit of Utrecht and Het Gooi, about cemeteries, burial customs and related topics in The Netherlands in general and Utrecht and Het Gooi in particular, and Roots, about my own roots.